Stigma In Zootopia

Social Psychology in Zootopia

Ajia Shahzad, 400468495
McMaster University
SOCPSY 1Z03: An Introduction to Social Psychology
Alison Rogers
March 16, 2023

One of the main themes present in the film Zootopia is stigma. Stigma is an attribute, behavior, reputation, or identity that is socially discrediting in some way (Speakman, 2023). Stigma implies societal rejection and might unjustly result in an individual's exclusion and discrimination. Throughout the movie, the stigmatization of predators is highly prevalent. In one particular scene, Nick Wilde shares a moving childhood story. When he was a young boy, all he wanted was to be part of the Junior Ranger Scouts. He just wanted to fit in and be part of a pack. However, because

The kids had a stigma that all foxes were untrustworthy and conniving. This led to them acting unjustly, mocking and excluding Nick from joining the Junior Scouts. Here, the stigma is against a discredited attribute, meaning it is obviously visible (Speakman, 2023). Discredited attributes could be things like skin color, body size, a physical disability, or in this case being a predator. This stigma is seen in various scenes across the movie. For instance, in the beginning of the movie, Judy’s parents, made sure that Judy was aware of the nature of predators, especially foxes, so they gave her fox spray. Even though Judy tried to explain that not all foxes are jerks, her parents still held that stigma against them. Stigmas can be harmful towards individuals and groups as they can significantly impact the emotional, physiological, and mental health of stigmatized groups. After the kids put a muzzle on Nick and embarrassed him, he ran out and cried. Even though he tried to

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overvalue dispositional factors while undervaluing situational factors in explaining observed behavior of others. In essence, it is the predisposition to assume that people's actions are a reflection of who they are instead of their actions having to do with the situation they are in. It is also called correspondence bias because people frequently perceive behaviors as correlating to a disposition (Myers et al., 2021). In the movie, when Judy is talking at the press conference, she is quick to assume the aggressive behavior of the predators is due to their disposition and not consider the situational factors that may be at play. She tells the citizens of Zootopia that predators are most likely going back to their primitive, savage ways and that they cannot help it because it is biological. Nick is upset by this because he is viewed as a predator. After her speech, Nick approaches Judy. She tries to clarify that she didn't want to insult him but also notes that because bunnies are not predators, they could never act viciously. This scene perfectly demonstrates the Fundamental Attribution Error. Throughout the film, Judy is very persistent on breaking predator-prey stereotypes, however she still falls victim to this attribution error. Especially as a police officer, who’s job is to investigate matters before coming to a conclusion, it’s astonishing that she